Author Archives: DrKeith

The Power Of Thank You

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There is one social communication technique which is rarely used and its remarkable benefits and pleasures are only occasionally stumbled upon by chance. That is the question of acknowledgement.

Definition:

  1. Recognition of another’s existence, validity, authority, or right.
  2. An answer or response in return for something done.
  3. An expression of thanks or a token of appreciation.
  4. The act of admitting or owning to something.

When it comes to communication, that irksome phenomenon of open loops returns to trouble us as much as ever.

If we say something to another person, that fact by no means assures that we have been heard—or heard correctly.

So there is a slight mystery; an open loop. Open loops can be very distracting and hold your attention long afterwards.

There is even a scientific term for it: The Zeigarnik Effect, named after Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. It means, among other things, that the mind will cling on to things that are incomplete and won’t let them go till there is a resolution. Continue reading →

Dancing For Joy While Driving a Car

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I suppose this blog ought to come with a severe health warning! Nevertheless, I share it with you from a position of love and exhilaration.

There have been (many) times in my life when my joy simply bubbled over; it effervesced, like sparkling wine overflowing the bottle when shaken.

Sometimes the thrill has overtaken me while driving the car.

I danced. Carefully, of course, with sufficient attention on the road and other traffic—but I danced at the wheel. Peripheral vision comes to the rescue; peripheral vision is how you drive home safely, without even noticing the stop lights or other vehicles. How you can’t even remember the turns you made because they are on automatic.

It can be enhanced by good “caffeine music”.

I rarely do it with a passenger but one Swedish girlfriend went home with a tale and, apparently, told all her friends. She wasn’t scared she told me, but everything about common sense and social training cried out for her against what should be a crazy thing to do.

Yet she saw the delight! Continue reading →

Pain Is Blocked Flow

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Tough as it is, pain has value and purpose! It is curious that people have found that the boundary between pain and pleasure is very tenuous and at times it may even disappear. Certain sexual activity can render pain a bitter-sweet stimulus and spanking, or the deeper level of so-called sado-masochism, for many individuals, is a source of much gratification, however unlikely it seems to those who do not share the bent.

On similar lines, it is simple to observe, though rarely remarked and discussed, that the movements and facial appearance of an individual at the moment of orgasm are virtually identical to someone in great pain. Even the sounds are indistinguishable from those emitted in agony (how much more appropriate to burst into song, for instance, though the idea seems passing silly).

As a doctor I have long found this pain-mockery fascinating but without any real insight into why it should be so. We are missing an understanding here which may be vital. It could be indicative of some aspect of body consciousness that has yet to be decoded and may be very helpful to the management of pain and disease.

If the dividing line between pain and pleasure is so slight then it may be possible, in the light of fuller knowledge, to push a suffering patient back over the threshold in the more favorable direction, without losing sight or control of the disease process that has heralded itself. Continue reading →

Treadmill University!

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A Good Place To Learn Is On A Walk Or On The Treadmill

We all know what the “University on Wheels” is: getting educated by listening to audios, while you drive the car. Bad idea.

Much better is to jog or workout while you listen. “University on the Treadmill” is better!

Put your learning into podcast format, plug in your ear buds and get walking or jogging on the treadmill. You’ll learn more; nearly 15% more, in fact. It’s proven science.

This comes from an interesting study in Charleston, S.C., where students took part in a program that incorporated physical activity and classroom lessons for 40 minutes a day, five days a week. Before the study, the students had 40 minutes of physical education classes a week.

Physical effort to the form of learned movement skills, such as hopping through ladders while naming colors on each rung.

Others used exercise equipment with TV monitors. For example, a monitor on a treadmill would feature geography lessons while a student “ran” through the scene.

The researchers compared results from standardized tests taken by the students before and after the program, and found that the percentage of students who reached their goal on the state tests increased from 55% to 68.5%.

That’s a pretty significant statistical increase in retention. Learn from it!

It would be a good idea to put my Thought Structures and mind enhancement materials from New Thought Horizons into your iPod or other MP3 player and go work out!

You’ll not only get fit in body, you’ll get superbly capable in mind!

Go here: http://www.NewThoughtHorizons.com/join

[SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, May 1, 2011]

Change Your Playlist, Change Your Life

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Playlist is a neologism (new word) from the era of mp3 electronic music players. It refers to a sequence of tracks selected from amongst available music, that are grouped together as a listener choice. This is not the same as an album, where the associated tracks are chosen by the music publisher or the artist concerned.

Thus a personal playlist can include Beatles, along with Beethoven, if desired. There are no restrictions. Imagination and taste is the only guide.

Now a new book has pointed out that by choosing your playlist tracks carefully, your music can have an enormous benefit on your moods, efficiency and energy.

The book is called Your Playlist Can Change Your Life by Galina Mindlin, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, and founder of Brain Music Therapy; Don DuRousseau, founder of Human Bionics; and Joseph Cardillo, a top-selling author in holistic psychology and mind-body medicine.

The authors argue that music’s benefits hold for everyone and that if we queue up our tunes with care they’ll lift our mood, reduce anxiety, raise motivation, help us work out better and even fight off depression and insomnia.

Like sex, drugs or really good food, music causes the brain to release dopamine, a brain feel-good chemical. Choose your tracks carefully and you really can control your mood. Continue reading →

Live In Exhilaration

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Live life with a furious joy and fearless, bloody-minded determination!

Nothing can hurt you but that you let yourself believe it can. It is possible to live life in this exalted state of energy and thrill, without needing a sense of frenzy or excess, profligacy or lack of control.

There are no “disasters”. There are spills a-plenty. We cannot live the perfect life but we can live with near-perfect willingness to experience it all!

A downhill skier experiences acceleration and exhilaration. I myself don’t ski. But in scree running on mountains, diving and thrusting, I have tasted that same sense of exhilaration, beyond any sensation that ordinary living can provide.

Truly, inspiration + acceleration = exhilaration.

Remember the sweet epithet that goes round and round…

Sing as if no-one was listening,

Dance as if no-one was watching,

Love as if it could never hurt.

That’s the true meaning of life!